Smuggling: Tobacco

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the major brands of smuggled hand-rolled tobacco seized were in each of the last five years for which data is available;
	(2)  what proportion, by weight, of the smuggled hand-rolling tobacco seized was  (a) industry manufactured and  (b) counterfeit in each of the last five years for which data is available;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of the smuggled UK cigarette market made up of counterfeit brands in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Angela Eagle: In each of the last five years, the major brands of hand-rolling tobacco seized by HMRC have been Cutters Choice, Drum, Golden Virginia, Old Holborn, Raw, Samson and The Turner.
	From 2003-05 HMRC seizures of hand-rolling tobacco over 10Okgs were analysed, of which approximately 8 per cent. by weight was industry manufactured and 13 per cent. was counterfeit.
	From October 2006 to December 2007, HMRC seizures of hand-rolling tobacco over 50 kgs were analysed, of which approximately 86 per cent. by weight was industry manufactured and 14 per cent. was counterfeit.
	Although HMRC do not routinely estimate the counterfeit share of the illicit cigarette market, they do publish in HMRC's annual report their own analysis of the provenance of large cigarette seizures (individual seizures in excess of 100,000 sticks). This information explains the proportion of such seizures found to be counterfeit and the principal non-counterfeit brands seized.